Lost and Found
by ScentedCandles0112
Summary: COMPLETE. Short fic. Something horrible happens in the present. Can Inuyasha help Kagome come to terms with it? Will they find something more?
1. First Chapter

A short fanfic. I can't seem to finish my long ones, and I have all kinds of ideas for them, so I figured I would do this short one first. Let me know what you think!

LOST AND FOUND

Chapter One

The stars twinkled lightly in the dark sky. A slight breeze occasionly brushed by making the trees branches sway lazily. The nearby village slept. Crickets chirped rythmicly as crickets tend to do.

Inuyasha sat, like he had been for several hours, on the lip of a magic well peering into it's depths. Worry was evident on his face as he drummed his fingers lightly. Kagome had left early that morning to celebrate her 18th birthday with her family. She said she would return no later than sunset. It was well after dark now and Inuyasha was seriously considering hopping on in to see what the hold up was. He stood up to do just that, but then decided that he should probably wait just a little longer. He jumped off the edge of the well and began to pace slowly. He wasn't really one for gatherings, and Kagome had informed him that her three annoying friends would be attending as well. He sighed. He hadn't spoken a word aloud since Kagome had left. Kaede was visiting a neighboring village to help that village's midwife with the birth of her first child. Sango, Shippou, and Kirara had decided to accompany Miroku to his home to have a small tear in his Kazanaa repaired. Sango went because she was asked to, Shippou followed to make sure that Miroku's motives were nothing but of the purest intent. Stupid leacherous monk.

Inuyasha finally saw a familiar light shining from the well. His first thought was to yell about her taking so long, but decided against it. Today was her birthday, and he was pretty lonely. He wasn't really in the mood to fight tonight. Besides, she would be expecting him to yell at her, anyway. He smiled at the thought. He had to keep her guessing, didn't he?

The light stopped shining and Inuyasha looked down. There stood Kagome and up rose the overwhelming scent of tears. She had been crying. On her birthday. Worry hit him hard, though he didn't show it. She started her climb to the top, her backpack on her shoulders. She reached the top, climbed over the side and sat on the edge. Her eyes were nearly dry now, and she had yet to look or speak to him. He waited for an explaination, or a greeting, or sit, or something, but nothing came. She slowly rose and started to walk, but not towards the village as usual. She was heading into his forest. Confused and slightly annoyed, Inuyasha followed her.

She made her way to the clearing where he had last embraced Kikyo. Where Kagome had watched him embrace Kikyo. Why was she going here? To his knowledge, she had never been back here. She didn't speak of what happened here. She stopped, sat, and sighed. She took her backpack off and opened it, taking out 3 bottles of dark liquid and a small glass.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha said finally, sitting across from her on the cold ground. The crickets were louder now, and the breeze a little less evident. She said nothing. "Why were you crying?", he tried again. She was really worrying him now.

She stopped at the question, but didn't look up. Inuyasha waited.

"Grampa died today, Inuyasha."

It was spoken so coldly. So emotionless. So not Kagome. He scooted closer to her. She finally looked at him. Tears were in her eyes, ready to fall, but yet the help a strange far away light.

"I went to wake him for breakfast when I got home, and he was dead. I tried so hard, but he just wouldn't wake up."

Inuyasha couldn't say anything. There was nothing to say. Kagome hadn't been home for three months. Inuyasha knew how much the old man had meant to her. She had told him how he had come down with a cold recently and couldn't help around the shrine as much as he used to. She had took some medicine from Kaede with her today for him, and he was dead before she could give it to him. Before she could say goodbye.

Kagome went back to her task. She took out her propane lantern and lit it. She then took one of the bottles and unscrewed the cap. Suddenly the strong odor of alcohol hit Inuyasha's nose. He watched as she poured the small glass full, drank it in one glup, make a terrible face and then poured another.

"Kagome? What the hell are you doing?", Inuyasha asked. He was almost sure of what she was doing, and would have been sure of what it was if it had been anyone else other than Kagome.

Kagome finished the second glassful in one glup as well. Without looking up as she poured another helping, she stated plainly,"I'm getting drunk, Inuyasha. I going to get so drunk that it doesn't hurt anymore. So that nothing hurts anymore." The third glass went down smoother that the first two had.

He didn't have anything to say to this one, either. So much had changed in a span of 15 minutes. So much had turned upside down. He couldn't let her do this to herself. He watched as she dug further into her bag and pulled out a small box with writing on it. She opened it, took out a long white object and lit the end with a match. She breathed in on the other end and started coughing immediately.

Kagome had told him about cigarettes. She had told him of lung cancer and how they stained your teeth yellow. He also knew that she had never tried one and didn't plan on trying one. He watched as she puffed on it yet again. She still coughed, but a little less this time. She held it awkwardly between to fingers and proceeded to pour another glass.

"Kagome, don't do this to yourself." Inuyasha said quietly. She held the glass in one hand and the cigarette in the other. She was looking out into the forest, staring into nothing. A tear escaped and trailed slowly down her face.

"I have to, Inuyasha. I don't know what else to do. I have to stop hurting, if just for alittle while." She looked up at the starry sky through the trees. "I lost my father, my normal life, the only man I'll ever love, and now Grampa." She looked at Inuyasha and smiled through her tears now flowing freely. "My wonderful Grampa who always helped me lie so I could keep coming to help you." She looked back up at the sky.

Inuyasha was taken aback. The only man she would ever love? Did someone he didn't know about die? Or did she mean him? He looked down at her hand, her shaking hand, still hold the full glass. He gently took to from her, earning a puzzled look. He turned it back and swallowed, trying not to make a face but failing miserably. What awful stuff! He sat the glass down next to the bottle and took her hand in his.

"I guess I'll just have to join you then". He smiled at her, earning a smile in return. A thankful smile.


	2. Last Chapter

Chapter two

An hour had passed since Inuyasha's first drink of what he found out was whiskey. The first bottle was gone and they were nearly half way done with the second. Kagome had smoked nearly half of the box of cigarettes. Inuyasha had decided that he wasn't really one for smoking. As the minutes passed Kagome changed back to her old self. Happy and vibrant, smiling at nothing. Inuyasha found that he was smiling himself. He loved seeing her this way. He stopped for a second. He loved seeing her this way? He looked at her again. Yeah, he thought. He did indeed.

The crickets were quieting down now, or he just could hear them as well. He didn't know. He felt warm all over. It was a comforting feeling. He looked at Kagome again. She was looking at her hands. She noticed him looking at her and nodded down at her hands.

"Look, Inuyasha. My hands look terrible." She smiled, turning them this way and that. "Fighting demons with a bow and arrows will do that to them, I guess." She laughed then. "I think I'm drunk, Inuyasha. Are you drunk yet?" She squinted at him as if he were really far away.

He laughed at this. Her words were just a little slurred, but she didn't seem to notice it. Inuyasha noticed. She watched him as he laughed outloud for several minutes. He poured another shot and took it. He grinned lazily at her.

"Yup."

Kagome started laughing at this.

"Did you just say 'yup', Inuyasha? You did, didn't you?"

He thought for a second or two and laughed with her.

A few minutes later Kagome stood, wiping her eyes and holding her sides from laughing. She nearly fell backwards, then forwards, but finally righted herself. She started to walk deeper into the woods.

"I'll be right back, Inuyasha."

I was confused for a second, but then realized that she probably need to relieve herself. That's not such a bad idea, he thought, and got up to stumble in the opposite direction.

He returned before she did and sat down to wait on her. A few minutes later she came stumbling out of the forest from a different direction than she had entered. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"I got lost for a minute, but I finally found it.", she explained. "It's really dark out there." She stumbled, smiling, to where she had been sitting and attempted to sit back down. She missed.

Inuyasha caught her as she fell towards him. She didn't even try to catch herself. She laughed as she fell. He looked down at her smiling, waiting for her to regain sense so he could help her back up to try again.

She opened her eyes, giggles subsiding, to stare into the most beautiful golden orbs she had ever seen. They stayed like that for a moment, brown into gold, gold into brown. Inching down slowy, Inuyasha kissed Kagome softly on the lips.

Kagome stiffed, then quickly relaxed. Inuyasha pulled back at the stiffening, so Kagome gathered her courage and arched up to kiss him again.

Slowly the kiss deeped becoming something more than an innocent peck. Tongues met and danced for what seemed like hours. Finally coming up for air, Inuyasha looked down at a blushing Kagome as she breathed heavily. He was breathing alittle fast himself.

"What just happened?" Kagome asked, still recovering.

"I'm not sure."

"I'm sorry." Kagome said.

Inuyasha was puzzled by this.

"Why are you sorry? Was it bad?"

Kagome laughed and then quickly,

"Oh, Gods, no! It was, well, wonderful. I'm just sorry because I didn't warn you that alcohol is known for doing that sometimes."

"Known for doing what?"

"You know," Kagome said, looking down and squirming to get away. "Make you do crazy things. Things that you wouldn't normally do if you weren't drunk."

Inuyasha helped her sit up and get over to where she was sitting before. He thought for a moment, replaying what just happened in his mind. He had enjoyed it. What did that mean? Just the thought of doing it again aroused him, and that fact made him feel horrible. It was Kagome. Innocent little Kagome. He should think things like that about her. He looked at her again. She was looking down, and looking sad again. He had to say something.

"Kagome?"

"Yes?"

"I really liked it."

Shocked, Kagome looked up.

"You did?"

He smiled.

"Yeah."

They were silent for a moment.

"Inuyasha?"

"Yeah?"

Kagome slid over beside him and laid her head on his shoulder.

"Thank you for doing this for me."

She hugged him then. He felt his arms go around her on their own accord. Laying back in the grass, still holding each other, they slept.

Morning came and went. Inuyasha awoke early that afternoon, Kagome still in his arms. He hadn't slept that good in ages. It could have been the alcohol, but he knew better. It was Kagome. Kagome set him at peace. He looked down at her sleeping face. A small smile graced her lips. This brought a smile to his own.

Here lay the girl that had unbound him from the tree that had held him for 50 years. The one that shattered the Shikon no Tama. The one who had saved a small fox demon from death several times, and had befriended a monk and demon slayer. The teenage girl who had given up her life to follow through with her incarnation's duties. The young woman who had given up all hope of being with him, but stayed by him anyway because she loved him that much.

Kagome hadn't lost the only man that she had ever loved. He was right here. He knew that now. He couldn't let her go now. Not ever again.

He thought of all the times he had almost lost her. Replaying through his mind and nearly making him cringe. He thought of all the times he had missed her while she was in her time. The worry that he covered with anger. How he seemed to always feel broken or empty while she was gone.

Hugging her tighter with this thought, Kagome woke. She looked up to see Inuyasha still beside her, determination evedent on his face. She started to speak but was silenced with a kiss.

"Kagome." Inuyasha said as he broke the kiss.

"Yeah?"

"Don't ever leave me."

"I won't."

He held her close. He loved the smell of her hair. He loved how she felt in his arms. He loved her loyalty, her laugh... he even loved her sits. He loved...

"Kagome?"

"Yes?" She nearly purred, content at being held.

"I think... well... "

Kagome raised her eyebrows at him, waiting.

"Damn. Ok. I love you, Kagome. I love you."

Kagome didn't speak for a long time.

"I love you, too, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha was silent for a moment, gathering his thoughts. He loved a reincarnated priestess from the future in the past. Suddenly worry hit him.

"Kagome? Are we going to be able to do this? Stay together? Stay here?" Inuyasha asked, almost afraid of the answer.

Kagome smiled.

"Yes, Inuyasha. I would do anything to be with you."

They lay there until darkness fell. Holding each other, kissing, seldom speaking. Dreaming of the future, remembering the past, and loving the present.


End file.
